Government blamed for Daventry’s tip queues

Long queues are still plaguing those using Daventry’s recycling centre and tip, but the county council has given no hint that anything will change.

The Browns Road recycling centre saw its opening days cut at the start of March and is now open 10am to 6pm Friday to Tuesday.

The Daventry Express was contacted by a driver, who asked not to be named, who said: “I like so many others on Friday turned out on their day off to conscientiously take recyclable waste to the local recycling centre in Daventry.

“I would have preferred to have gone on Thursday but it transpired that they are not open at all on Wednesdays or Thursdays due to ‘cut-backs’.

“Foolishly like so many others that you can see in the photographs we assumed that at the very least they would be open for business from 9am like any other commercial entity (if not before) as clearly it would be a busy day as they were closed for the previous two days.

“Upon arrival I was greeted by the British cliché ‘a queue”. This was from the gates of the ‘tip’ to the roundabout. After sitting for 10 minutes in the queue I sauntered down to the front to see what the problem was and to see if it was worth waiting.

“In full view of the many drivers that had got out of their cars to chat and moan about the appalling service that our local service offers although they are still raking, the operatives of the facility had the gall to be sitting about having a tea and smoking break.”

The county council runs the tip appeared to push the blame onto central government for a change in funding.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “The opening times have had to change as a result of significant reductions in the way we are funded by central government.

“All sites are now open five days a week between 10am and 6pm which were the preferred times identified through a recent public consultation on the household waste recycling centre service.

“Leaflets are being distributed at the sites advising people of the new opening times and information is also available on the county council’s website.”